14 Why do I put myself in jeopardyand take my life in my hands?15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;I will surely defend my ways to his face.16 Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance,for no godless person would dare come before him!(Read the rest of the chapter, here.)

This blog is all about radical love, how we should radically love each other and how God radically loves us. Believe it or not, God’s incredible love for us is exactly what this passage illustrates.

“I desire to speak to the Almighty, to argue my case with God,” Job declares in v. 3. When you think about it, that’s rather impertinent. Can you imagine being charged with a crime and demanding to go straight to the Supreme Court? You’d be laughed at and denied. But with God we can do this. We can go straight to the highest court, if you will, and argue our case. Job knows he is not perfect, even that he doesn’t know all the ways of God, but he still has faith: “Though he slay me, yet I have hope in him. I will surely defend my ways to his face. Indeed, this will surely be my deliverance, for no godless person would dare come before him!” (v. 15-16) Job wants to bypass his useless friends with their “proverbs of ashes” and go straight to the source to confess his faith, examine his shortcomings in God’s eyes, and make his case for salvation. Which is what we should all do. Now, not all of us are going to have a vision of God come to Earth in a storm to answer our cries in person as Job does later on, but we can still do what Job does, in prayer, any day, any time. No need to even make an appointment – God is always there, ready to listen to us.

And speaking of listening, Job really does some raging in this speech. This is the first time Job speaks sarcastically and angrily to his friends (actually last chapter was the first time, but this chapter is a continuation of the same speech, so it still counts). His tone towards God is less angry, but still plaintive, to be sure. Job makes a demand of God in v. 20: “grant me these two things,” and accuses God of making Job Xyr enemy (v. 24). It’s easy to forget, since Job is so eloquent, but not only is he in sorrow, he is in pain. How many of us have lashed out in sorrow or pain? Saying things we don’t really mean, or just being unable to see past our own misery? Often, we lash out at those nearest to us. And, just like a good friend, God doesn’t take it personally with Job. Xe knows it is Job’s pain speaking. Xe is not going to hold Job’s angry words against him in the end.

And there-in lies the wonder of it all. For in the grand scheme of things, we are just windblown leaves or dry chaff, as Job points out. I distinctly remember learning in 7th grade that if you took the whole history of Earth, from the time it was formed 4.5 billion years ago, and condensed that history into a year, then all of human history–and by that I mean the first homo-sapiens, not just recorded history–fits into the last half-hour of the last day of that year. Now take the whole history of the galaxy, which scientists say is 14.51 billion years old, and we’re barely even a blip. Yet for being almost nothing, God loves us. Xe decided the world was not complete without us, and created us in Xyr image. We are fallible and fleeting, but God loves us, every single one of us. It’s as unrealistic as us being able to love individual snowflakes as our own children, but for God, it is possible. And that is truly awe-inspiring, and worthy of our love and thanksgiving in return.

3 But I have a mind as well as you;I am not inferior to you.Who does not know all these things?

4 “I have become a laughingstock to my friends,though I called on God and he answered—a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!5 Those who are at ease have contempt for misfortuneas the fate of those whose feet are slipping.(Read the rest of the chapter, here.)

A warning to those in power

The Bible is full of warnings for the “big guy” to get their act right. One of my favorites is in Isaiah chapter 32, his warning to “complacent women.” Basically all of the prophets warn for those in power to stop being so corrupt and turn back to God. And it’s a warning that still needs to be heard today.

In this warning, Job once again gives voice to the downtrodden the world over. “I am not inferior to you,” Job tells his friends in v. 3 (and again at the beginning of the next chapter). And I think v. 5 might be my favorite line of this whole book so far, where Job calls them out on their sanctimonious bullshit: “Those at ease have contempt for misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.” Basically, “you don’t know what it’s like, I’m over here drowning and you’re trying to offer me swim lessons. Throw me a freaking life saver!”

The whole second half of this chapter can be read as a warning to Job’s friends, who are a stand-in for people in power just as Job is a stand-in for the downtrodden. “To God belongs wisdom and power,” (v. 13) Job declares – something his friends have been quoting at him the whole time. But the difference is they were using it to try and suppress Job while upholding their own righteousness, while Job is reminding them – and us – that even our own righteousness is not enough to stand up to God. “He leads priests away stripped and overthrows men long established, He silences the lips of trusted advisers and takes away discernment of elders [v. 19-20]….He makes nations great, and destroys them [v. 23].” This is one big reminder that even those who have the appearance of power and security, like Job’s friends, are not immune to correction from God.

Blessed be the thorn in my side

I feel I am blessed, because I stand between two worlds: a world of privilege and a world of need. I am white, cis-gender, able-bodied, and middle class. I am also female, the mother of a special-needs child with crap insurance (goodbye, $700 every time we go to the developmental pediatrician), and a farmer whose livelihood is directly tied to the vagaries of climate change, predators, and agricultural policy. So while I have certain comforts–certain privileges, if you will, I never feel fully secure. Why is this a blessing? Because it helps me to remember others in need, just as Paul’s affliction kept him grounded in reality. (You can read about Paul’s thorn in his side, as he calls it, in 2 Corinthians chapter 12.) It is easy for me to identify with people who are suffering. Are you struggling to pay your medical bills? I feel you – reference my developmental pediatrician statement above. Are you struggling with a condition some people don’t even recognize – such as an “invisible” disease like MS or fibromyalgia or a little-heard of (and therefore dismissed) disorder like Executive Dysfunction? Again, I feel you – even nowadays not everyone recognizes that Autism is a real thing. I found a hateful blog post recently where someone claimed individuals with ASD are “retards” who are “possessed by the devil” because their parents are sinners. I just pray that man never has any grandchildren who get diagnosed and have to suffer though his vitriol. And certainly being in a interracial, interfaith marriage demands a high level of empathy from both of us.

As an example of how this standing between two worlds extends into promoting the rights of others: I’m not gay, but I do know what it’s like to have society disapprove of your marriage. Not that long ago – I’m talking 1967, when my dad was a teenager and Chris’ dad was already in his mid-twenties, interracial marriage was illegal in our home-state of Virginia. (They even made a movie about it.) If two people care for each other, want to build a life and a family together, want to spread love in this world that so desperately needs it, why would we stop it? To borrow Job’s words, they are not inferior to me, and I will not have contempt for their misfortune. So I support gay marriage.

Doing (just a little) more

I’ve talked about examining your privilege before, but I’m going to mention it again, because Lent is a great time to do it, and it’s actually a great practice in gratitude, too. Think about all the things you’re grateful for. Some examples could be good health, your family, or a new job. And then, just think about those who lack that particular blessing. Counterpoint examples could be those suffering poor health or mental illness, children of all ages in the foster care system, and those struggling with unemployment. None of these seem particularly controversial on the surface, but dig a little deeper and our society often has contempt for these groups: I can’t afford insurance that would cover mental health services for my (otherwise healthy!!!) daughter with ASD. Funding is being cut for Health and Human Services, the government agency responsible for the Administration of Children and Families, Head Start programs, and TANF (all which benefit foster children and children in at-risk situations). The stigma against unemployed people has been documented in a controlled study by UCLA. None of these are actions of love, but actions of contempt.

I get it, not everyone is going to be a social justice warrior. Some just don’t have the time or inclination, but that doesn’t make them bad people. There are lots of legitimate reasons a person may not be active in implementing change: raising a family, starting a business, caring for a sick loved one, struggling to make ends meet themselves. But even little actions make a difference. What if everyone made just one (more) phone call to their representatives about an issue that they heard on the news? What if everyone donated just $10 (more) to a charity of their choice? What if everyone bought one less thing made of plastic, or one more thing from a female entrepreneur? I don’t know what would happen, but I bet it would be good. So today I’m challenging you to do a little more to make a difference. I know it’s hard, with everyone and everything asking “more” of us, but like I said, the steps can be little to start. I’d love to hear what little steps you’re taking to make the world a better place, perhaps you might inspire someone else to do the same thing. Above all else today, let us not have contempt for other’s misfortune, for they are not inferior to us. Let us not be too at ease, for then we ourselves are at risk of the greater misfortune of God’s displeasure. We have the chance to be agents of God’s love for all mankind – let’s take it.

2 “Are all these words to go unanswered?Is this talker to be vindicated?3 Will your idle talk reduce others to silence?Will no one rebuke you when you mock?4 You say to God, ‘My beliefs are flawlessand I am pure in your sight.’5 Oh, how I wish that God would speak,that he would open his lips against you6 and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom,for true wisdom has two sides.Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin.

7 “Can you fathom the mysteries of God?Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?8 They are higher than the heavens above—what can you do?They are deeper than the depths below—what can you know?9 Their measure is longer than the earthand wider than the sea.

10 “If he comes along and confines you in prisonand convenes a court, who can oppose him?11 Surely he recognizes deceivers;and when he sees evil, does he not take note?12 But the witless can no more become wisethan a wild donkey’s colt can be born human.

13 “Yet if you devote your heart to himand stretch out your hands to him,14 if you put away the sin that is in your handand allow no evil to dwell in your tent,15 then, free of fault, you will lift up your face;you will stand firm and without fear.16 You will surely forget your trouble,recalling it only as waters gone by.17 Life will be brighter than noonday,and darkness will become like morning.18 You will be secure, because there is hope;you will look about you and take your rest in safety.19 You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid,and many will court your favor.20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail,and escape will elude them;their hope will become a dying gasp.”

The more I read Job (and read about Job), the less I think it is about theodicy – the justice of God existing alongside the existence of evil – and more about endurance of faith. I think this seed was planted long ago. The same pastor I mentioned two posts back also told me she thought that “the patience of Job” should really be “the endurance of Job,” because he really isn’t very patient with his loud complaints and bitter responses to his friends, but he does endure through his whole ordeal.

Then, a week or so ago, I was perusing through online writings on Job. I’m sorry I can’t remember if it was on Instagram with the hashtag #bookofJob, or a blog article, or what because I’d really love to link to it and give the author credit (to that person: if you find me, holler!), but the thrust of their message was, Job’s suffering was all worth it because it meant (spoiler alert) he got to meet God. Yes, he gets his stuff and family and everything back, too, but even more than the worldly goods his faith is rewarded by the presence of God. So, is Job’s test more of a quest, almost like a knight? Job didn’t get to pick his quest quite like a knight does, but just like a King Arthur style tale, he is tried and tested and faces hardship but wins a glorious prize for his endurance in the end.

Finally, earlier this week, I came across an article in my favorite academic journal, Vetus Testamentum. In it, author Andrew E. Steinmann argues that the central theme of Job is not theodicy, but rather Job’s “struggle to maintain his integrity and his battle to hang onto his trust in God, rather than the problem of his suffering.” Steinmann goes on to argue that the theme of theodicy is secondary and the only safe conclusion we can draw, again to quote the author, is that “theodicy is an irrelevant exercise for human beings. They cannot explain God’s actions because they do not have access to God’s wisdom in the heavenly court. They can only dangerously attempt deductions that are as unreliable as the deductions made by Job’s friends.” (All this from “The Structure and Message of the Book of Job, Andrew E. Steinmann, Vol. 46 Fasc. 1 of Vetus Testamentum, Jan. 1996)

Following this theme of the endurance of Job, or the endurance of the faith of Job, we can see his friends test him with their false piety, impatience and indignation. This speech of Zophar’s is the most impatient and indignant yet. Add his wife to the mix when she says “curse God and die,” (2:9) and we have temptation (it’s a morbid desire, but still, Job desires the grave above all else at this point – and his wife is saying he will die if he just curses God). So Job’s faith is tried in every manner: loss, suffering, trying attitudes, and temptation. But he endures, his faith endures.

I find this a much more satisfying explanation of the book of Job than one based solely on theodicy, exactly because there is suffering in the world. The truth is, we don’t know why God allows suffering. But that doesn’t mean Xe doesn’t love us, it just means we lack a full comprehension of God. I think I’ve used this analogy before: but it helps me to think of it like kids on the playground. When I take my girls to the playground, I am watching over them, helping them. But even under careful guidance, they occasionally hurt themselves. It’s not that I don’t care about them, it’s just part of growing up, learning their abilities, and striving for the next monkey bar. I patch up their boo-boos, give them hugs and kisses, and send them back out there. If Earth is our proverbial playground, could God be doing the same for us? Watching over us, maybe even letting us make some mistakes, in the hopes that we are growing, not just individually, but collectively? I like to think so. I know I’ve mentioned this before (maybe multiple times), but my all-time favorite church sign is “God didn’t promise a smooth ride, but rather a soft landing.” This encapsulates what I think is the most important takeaway from Job: That all of life is a quest, just like Job’s suffering was. It is a quest of faith, a battle of endurance in which we must hold fast to God. We may get scraped up from time to time, but that doesn’t mean we should abandon our faith. Stay faithful, and the reward is everlasting peace in the life to come.